[Nfbwv-talk] Message from Jesse Hartle

Wed Oct 24 13:22:18 UTC 2012

The following is from Jesse Hartle

Fellow Federationists:

                We have been working to build support for the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
Ratification of the CRPD would solidify the United States as a global
leader on disability rights, and protect Americans with disabilities who
travel, work, study, or serve abroad.    The opposition has stated that
the disability community is uninformed and does not really support the
disability rights treaty.   The National Federation of the Blind must
take action to urge our Senators to support this important initiative.
We believe that the Senate will take a vote on this treaty after the
elections, and we are now partnering with over 250 disability groups to
maximize the push for ratification of the CRPD treaty.  

The NFB has been assigned next Wednesday October 24, 2012, as the first
of our three days of action.  We would like to use this day to target
members of the Senate through social media tools.  Below you will find a
list of Twitter handles for members of the United States Senate, and a
draft message to be used.  You should also try to get those who follow
you on Twitter to retweet your messages to ensure a greater number of
people learn about the treaty.  If you do not have a Twitter account, or
your Senator does not have a Twitter account, we would like you to try
and alert your Senator through their Facebook page; if you use Facebook
be sure to tag the National Federation of the Blind in your post.
Please contact me with any questions.  I have included my contact
information below the list of Twitter handles.  Thank you all very much
for your hard work in advance on this important issue.    

Draft Message (144 characters):

I am a blind person who supports the #CRPD. I urge @(insert Senators
Handle) to support passage of this important policy for disabled
Americans.

Alabama

Richard Shelby

@SenShelbyPress

Jeff Sessions

@SenatorSessions

Alaska   

Lisa Murkowski

@lisamurkowski

Mark Begich

@SenatorBegich

Arizona                

John McCain

@SenJohnMcCain

Jon Kyl

@SenJonKyl

Arkansas              

Mark Pryor

@SenMarkPryor

John Boozman

@JohnBoozman

California            

Dianne Feinstein

@SenFeinstein

Barbara Boxer

@SenatorBoxer

Colorado             

Mark Udall

@MarkUdall

Michael Bennet

@SenBennetCO

Connecticut       

Joe Lieberman

@JoeLieberman

Richard Blumenthal

@SenBlumenthal

Delaware            

Tom Carper

@SenatorCarper

Chris Coons

@ChrisCoons

Florida  

Bill Nelson

@SenBillNelson

Marco Rubio

@SenRubioPress

Georgia                

Saxby Chambliss

NONE

Johnny Isakson

@SenatorIsakson

Hawaii  

Daniel Inouye

@Daniel_Inouye

Daniel Akaka

@SenatorAkaka

Idaho    

Mike Crapo

@MikeCrapo

Jim Risch

NONE

Illinois  

Dick Durbin

@SenatorDurbin

Mark Kirk

@SenatorKirk

Indiana 

Richard Lugar

@senatorlugar

Dan Coats

@SenDanCoats

Iowa      

Chuck Grassley

@ChuckGrassley

Tom Harkin

@SenatorHarkin

Kansas  

Pat Roberts

@SenPatRoberts

Jerry Moran

@JerryMoran

Kentucky              

Mitch McConnell

@McConnellPress

Rand Paul

@SenRandPaul

Louisiana              

Mary Landrieu

@SenLandrieu

David Vitter

@DavidVitter

Maine   

Olympia Snowe

@SenatorSnowe

Susan Collins

@SenatorCollins

Maryland             

Barbara Mikulski

@SenatorBarb

Ben Cardin

@SenatorCardin

Massachusetts  

John Kerry

@JohnKerry

Scott Brown

@USSenScottBrown

Michigan              

Carl Levin

@SenCarlLevin

Debbie Stabenow

@StabenowPress

Minnesota          

Amy Klobuchar

NONE

Al Franken

@alfranken

Mississippi         

Thad Cochran

@SenThadCochran

Roger Wicker

@SenatorWicker

Missouri               

Claire McCaskill

@clairecmc

Roy Blunt

@RoyBlunt

Montana              

Max Baucus

NONE

Jon Tester

@TesterPress

Nebraska              

Ben Nelson

@SenBenNelson

Mike Johanns

@Mike_Johanns

Nevada                 

Harry Reid

@SenatorReid

Dean Heller

@SenDeanHeller

New Hampshire               

Jeanne Shaheen

@JeanneShaheen

Kelly Ayotte

NONE

New Jersey        

Frank Lautenberg

@FrankLautenberg

Bob Menendez

@SenatorMenendez

New Mexico      

Jeff Bingaman

NONE

Tom Udall

@ChuckSchumer

New York            

Chuck Schumer

@ChuckSchumer

Kirsten Gillibrand

@SenGillibrand

North Carolina  

Richard Burr

@SenatorBurr

Kay Hagan

@SenatorHagan

North Dakota     

Kent Conrad

NONE

John Hoeven

@SenJohnHoeven

Ohio      

Sherrod Brown

@SenSherrodBrown

Rob Portman

@robportman

Oklahoma           

Jim Inhofe

@InhofePress

Tom Coburn

@TomCoburn

Oregon 

Ron Wyden

@RonWyden

Jeff Merkley

@SenJeffMerkley

Pennsylvania     

Bob Casey, Jr.

@SenBobCasey

Pat Toomey

@SenToomey

Rhode Island     

Jack Reed

@SenJackReed

Sheldon Whitehouse

@SenWhitehouse

South Carolina  

Lindsey Graham

@GrahamBlog

Jim DeMint

@JimDeMint

South Dakota     

Tim Johnson

@SenJohnsonSD

John Thune

@SenJohnThune

Tennessee          

Lamar Alexander

@SenAlexander

Bob Corker

@SenBobCorker

Texas    

Kay Bailey Hutchison

@kaybaileyhutch

John Cornyn

@JohnCornyn

Utah      

Orrin Hatch

@SenOrrinHatch

Mike Lee

@SenMikeLee

Vermont              

Patrick Leahy

@SenatorLeahy

Bernie Sanders

@SenSanders

Virginia                

Jim Webb

NONE

Mark Warner

@MarkWarner

Washington       

Patty Murray

@PattyMurray

Maria Cantwell

@CantwellPress

West Virginia    

Jay Rockefeller

@SenRockefeller

Joe Manchin

@Sen_JoeManchin

Wisconsin           

Herb Kohl

NONE

Ron Johnson

@SenRonJohnson

Wyoming            

Mike Enzi

@SenatorEnzi

John Barrasso

@SenJohnBarrasso

Thank you everyone,

Jesse Hartle

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

Phone: 410-659-9314, Ext. 2233

Twitter: @JMHartleIII

Email: jhartle at nfb.org